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Video: Man Riding Big Wheel Trike Beats Crosstown Bus
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 6, 2011
Modified Mar 29, 2017
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By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 6, 2011
Modified Mar 29, 2017
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For his latest stunt, comedian Mark Malkoff—who previously lived in an IKEA and visited 171 Starbucks in one day—set out to prove the obvious: the crosstown bus lines can be agonizingly slow. So slow, in fact, that you're actually better off riding a child's big wheel tricycle. Riding a Razor Rip Rider 360, Malkoff raced the bus for a mile on 42nd Street, from 10th Avenue to Madison Avenue, being sure to pedal in traffic so as not to get a summons for triking on the sidewalk. Here is his triumphant video:
Malkoff claims he beat the bus by almost three minutes, covering the distance in 12 minutes and 42 seconds at an average speed of 4.7 mph. He says the bus took 15 minutes and 20 seconds; averaging 3.9 mph. But editing can be deceptive, so we asked him if he took any creative license for the video. "No, I really beat the bus," Malkoff insists. "I did research for a week riding the M42 from noon-2 p.m. I looked at the speed of the bus and other patterns. I then trained on my Big Wheel to prepare for the race. My biggest concern was beating the bus on the first take because I didn't want my crew to have to do it a second time." Also, his legs were "in massive pain" by the end.
According to data from the Straphangers Campaign, Malkoff piloting a Big Wheel at 4.7 mph would have beaten an additional six bus lines: the M14A (3.7 mph), the M66 (4.0 mph), the M79 (4.2 mph), the M32 (4.2 mph), the M34 (4.4 mph) and the M14D (4.5 mph). We also asked him if he'd now set his sights on other easy targets, like bike lanes. "I'm pretty sure I'm retiring from racing Big Wheels on the streets of NYC," he says. "That's unless the city installs Big Wheel lanes. Then maybe I'll reconsider."
UPDATE: Reached for comment, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz tells us, "This is why we hope to bring SBS to points throughout the city in the future. For the customers who use the M15 daily, SBS has brought a 19 percent reduction in travel time. Off-board fare collection, low-floor high capacity buses and dedicated bus lanes with camera enforcement all contribute to speedier service."
Tagged
big wheel
bus
mark malkoff
MTA
transportation
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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